Beautiful Lake D'Arbonne, a 15,200-acre man-made lake, is just one of the reasons why Union Parish is fast becoming a tourist and retirement destination. Union Parish is designated a Louisiana Certified Retirement Community. Situated near Lake D'Arbonne, Farmerville experienced a residential development boom as individuals built their second homes or retirement homes along the lake.
Union Parish Offers Logistical Advantages
As part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), Union Parish ranks No. 4 in economic development according to Site Selection magazine (2011). The parish is strategically positioned at the crossroads of the Mid-South, one of the fastest growing regions of the United States. At the midpoint between Dallas and Birmingham, Little Rock and New Orleans, and Houston and Memphis, Union Parish can access more than 30 million consumers via Interstate 20, US 167, LA 2 and LA 33. Air service, Class 1 Rail, and the Greater Ouachita Port offer multimodal transportation options.
Located in northeast Louisiana, Union Parish covers 877 sq. miles with an estimated 2019 population of 22,568 residents, which earns a median household income of $41,526. The civilian labor force of 9,031 works primarily in agribusiness, healthcare, energy and financial services. Unemployment in Union Parish is 5.6% (August 2019).
Union Parish’s economy had focused primarily on harvesting timber, cotton, corn and beans. Over the years, Union Parish has diversified its industries, adding agribusiness or poultry growing and processing, healthcare, retail businesses, petroleum pipeline construction, and timber processing and transport. As a Louisiana Certified Retirement Community, the parish is also quickly becoming home to retirees, who are drawn to the shores of beautiful Lake D’Arbonne and to the relaxed lifestyle in this corner of the South.
Union Parish Communities
Union Parish Demographics
Union Parish Workplace Statistics
Union Parish Transportation Infrastructure
Tax Structure: Cost of Business
Union Parish Communities
|
• Bernice |
• Marion |
|
• Downsville |
• Spearsville |
|
• Farmerville- Parish Seat |
• Shiloh |
|
• Junction City |
• Point |
|
• Lillie |
|
Union Parish Population Demographics
|
Demographics |
|
|
2010 Census |
2019 Estimate |
2024 Estimate |
|
Population |
22,721 |
22,568 |
22,720 |
|
Households |
9,144 |
9,241 |
9,372 |
|
Median Age (2019) |
42.4 |
|
5-Year Population Growth Projection (2024) |
0.67% |
|
Race (2019 Estimate) |
|
White |
70.42% |
|
African American |
24.80% |
|
American Indian or Alaska Native |
0.38% |
|
Asian |
0.16% |
|
Other |
4.24% |
|
Income (2019 Estimate) |
|
Median Household Income |
$41,526 |
|
Average Household Income |
$58,030 |
|
Educational Attainment (2019 Estimate) |
|
Some High School, No Diploma |
10.51% |
|
High School Graduate |
46.28% |
|
Some College or Associate Degree |
26.95% |
|
Bachelor's Degree |
8.49% |
|
Master's, Professional or Doctorate |
3.58%
|
|
Average Weekly Wage (Q1 2019) |
|
Average Weekly Wage |
$625 |
Source: Nielsen Segementation & Market Solutions, Pop-Fact Demographics 2019; Louisiana Workforce Commission
Union Parish Transportation Infrastructure
|
Major Interstates |
Interstate 20 nearby |
|
Major Highways |
US 63, US 167, LA 2, LA 15, LA 33 |
|
Ports |
-
Red River Port - 103 miles
-
Port of Shreveport-Bossier - 104 miles
-
Port of Natchitoches - 88.5 miles
-
Greater Ouachita Port - 31.2 miles
|
|
Class 1 Railroads |
-
Union Pacific Railroad (UP)
|
|
Airports |
-
Monroe Regional Airport - 36.5 miles
|
*Based on distance from parish seat
**All North Louisiana Ports are connected to deepwater ports.
Tax Structure: Cost of Doing Business
|
State Corporate Income Tax
|
-
4% on the first $25,000 of net income
-
5% on the next $25,000
-
6% on the next $50,000
-
7% on the next $100,000
-
8% on the excess of $200,000
-
Louisiana uses single sales factor
|
|
State Corporate Franchise Tax
|
-
$1.50 per $1,000 or major fraction thereof up to $300,000
-
$3.00 per $1,000 or major fraction thereof in excess of $300,000
-
The initial corporation franchise tax is $110
|
|
Unemployment Insurance Tax
|
-
The 2017 wage base is $7,700
-
Standard rate range is .10% - 6.2%
-
Rate for new employers is the average rate for the particular industry
-
Maximum unemployment weekly benefit is 1/2 of the claimant's previous wage earnings for 26 weeks
|
|
2018 Parishwide Millage (Property Tax) Rate
|
82.2 mills*
|
|
Total Sales Taxes in Unincorporated Union Parish
|
9.45%**
|
|
Total Sales Taxes in Bernice
|
11.45%
|
|
Total Sales Taxes in Farmerville
|
11.45%
|
|
Total Sales Taxes in Marion
|
10.45%
|
|
Total Sales Taxes in Junction City
|
10.45% |
* To calculate property tax, multiply the assessed value of the property by the appropriate millage rate. The assessed value is the fair market value of the property times 10% for real property or 15% for personal property.
** Sales taxes include a 5% state tax along with a local portion